Imagine waking up every morning with a perfectly even complexion — the kind that looks like you’ve had a team of pros airbrushing your face overnight. That’s the promise of semi-permanent BB cream (a.k.a. ‘BB Glow’). But is it too good to be true? The AEDITION asks the experts.
What Is Semi-Permanent BB Cream?
BB Glow is essentially a form of microneedling that has made its way stateside from South Korea. Like typical microneedling, an aesthetician first applies numbing cream to the face. Unlike the traditional treatment, semi-permanent pigments are added to the mix to tint the complexion for about six months to one year. “This procedure is meant to improve the overall appearance of the skin including uneven skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, age spots, post-acne pigmentation, and large pores,” explains Sejal Shah, MD, a board certified dermatologist in New York City.
So, what makes semi-permanent BB cream different from a traditional microneedling procedure? “With anti-aging microneedling formulas, the ingredients absorbed through the channels are mostly skin-centric and nutritional raw ingredients,” says permanent makeup pioneer Dominique Bossavy. As she explains it, they are usually biodegradable and either work with the lipids or water particles in the cellular makeup of the skin. “They are easily absorbed or carried away and expelled, so their negative effects are either limited and short or there are none,” she continues.
The same cannot necessarily be said of BB Glow pigments. The treatment is not approved or regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As the FDA notes in its Tattoos & Permanent Makeup Fact Sheet: “Although a number of color additives are approved for use in cosmetics, none is approved for injection into the skin.” The agency continues to investigate the safety of permanent makeup ink with periodic voluntary recalls, including one in 2017 involving inks that were microbially contaminated. While there are reputable providers using quality pigments, Bossavy warns that the lack of regulation makes BB Glow a “buyer beware” procedure.
Read more about The Permanent BB Cream Trend
To know more about Skincare Devices and Beauty’s latest updates, please Like and Follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts…
Read also Eye Color Surgery: Pros, Cons, Safety And Side-Effects
. But is it too good to be true? The AEDITION asks the experts.){kind=link}